Competency report SBE

Report to the North Carolina
General Assembly
Competency-Based Assessments and
Teaching Model Session Law 2019-212
Date Due: May 15, 2020
DPI Chronological Schedule, 2019-2020

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION VISION: Every public school student in North Carolina will be
empowered to accept academic challenges, prepared to pursue their chosen path after graduating high
school, and encouraged to become lifelong learners with the capacity to engage in a globally-
collaborative society.
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION MISSION: The mission of the North Carolina State Board of Education
is to use its constitutional authority to guard and maintain the right of a sound, basic education for every
child in North Carolina Public Schools.
ERIC DAVIS
Chair: Charlotte – At-Large
ALAN DUNCAN
Vice Chair: Greensboro – Piedmont-Triad Region
DAN FOREST
Lieutenant Governor: Raleigh – Ex Officio
DALE FOLWELL
State Treasurer: Raleigh – Ex Officio
MARK JOHNSON
Secretary to the Board: Raleigh
JILL CAMNITZ
Greenville – Northeast Region
REGINALD KENAN
Rose Hill – Southeast Region
AMY WHITE
Garner – North Central Region
OLIVIA OXENDINE
Lumberton – Sandhills Region
JAMES FORD
Charlotte – Southwest Region
TODD CHASTEEN
Blowing Rock – Northwest Region
DONNA TIPTON-ROGERS
Brasstown – Western Region
J. WENDELL HALL
Ahoskie – At-Large
J.B. BUXTON
Raleigh – At-Large
NC DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
Mark Johnson, State Superintendent / 301 N. Wilmington Street / Raleigh, North Carolina 27601-
2825
In compliance with federal law, the NC Department of Public Instruction administers all state-operated educational
programs, employment activities and admissions without discrimination because of race, religion, national or ethnic origin,
color, age, military service, disability, or gender, except where exemption is appropriate and allowed by law.
Inquiries or complaints regarding discrimination issues should be directed to:
Joe Maimone, Chief of Staff
6307 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-6307 / Phone: (919) 807-3431 / Fax: (919) 807-3445
Visit us on the Web: www.dpi.nc.gov 1219

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Introduction
This report addresses the requirements stated in Session Law 2019-212, Part VI. Competency-
Based Assessment and Teaching Model Section 6:
Pursuant to the intent of the General Assembly expressed in Section 8.12 of Session Law
2015-241, the State Board of Education shall determine and analyze the steps necessary to
transition to a competency-based assessment and teaching model for all elementary and
secondary students. Based on its analysis, the State Board shall recommend transition steps
that accomplish the following competency-based objectives:
(1) Students advance upon mastery.
(2) Competencies are broken down into explicit and measurable learning objectives.
(3) Assessment is meaningful for students, accomplishes the goals of the statewide testing
program for measuring student achievement and student growth, and complies with the
conditions of federal grant funds.
(4) Students receive differentiated support based on their learning needs.
(5) Learning outcomes emphasize competencies that include the application and creation of
knowledge.
In conducting its analysis, the State Board shall examine (i) competency-based assessments in
other states, including potential benefits and obstacles to implementing similar systems in
North Carolina, (ii) the relationship between competency-based assessments and innovative
teaching methods utilized in North Carolina schools, and (iii) any other considerations the
Board deems relevant to transitioning to a competency-based assessment and teaching model.
No later than May 15, 2020, the State Board shall submit a report of its analysis and
recommended transition steps to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee.
To prepare this report, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI)
convened an internal cross-divisional team to address each of the requirements. The
consensus of this group was the transition to competency-based assessment and teaching has
been grounded at the local level, not the state-level. However, several policies and practices
supported by the NCDPI align with a competency-based focus, most clearly as an approach to
teaching and learning.
To give context to competency-based assessment and teaching in North Carolina, this report
provides details on these policies and practices with consideration of the state’s role in this
effort. The report addresses competency-based teaching, and separately, it reviews the
assessment implications for competency-based teaching.
Competency-Based Teaching
The first task of the internal review team was to affirm a common understanding of
competency-based teaching as it applies to North Carolina, and its applicability and
relationship to personalized learning. The NCDPI has been engaged in supporting
personalized learning for several years.
As a foundation for these discussions, the team reviewed the work of the NCDPI as part of the
Regional Education Lab Southeast’s Competency-Based Education Alliance. Also
participating in this work were RTI International, North Carolina Community College

2
System, the University of North Carolina System, North Carolina Independent Colleges and
Universities, and others. These partners met regularly to ensure a collaborative workspace to
research and to develop best practices for the implementation of competency-based education
in North Carolina. As a first step, the Alliance developed a definition for use in North
Carolina among our partners:
“As a personalized learning approach, competency-based education provides a
flexible and engaging learning environment in which progression is based on mastery
of explicit learning objectives, or competencies, as demonstrated through evidence of
student learning, rather than the time spent in a course/topic.”
The internal group affirmed the Alliance’s definition, and based on work with the REL
Southeast and other national-level groups, further clarified the role of competency-based
learning at the school-level and at the state-level:
Competency-based learning or competency-based education involves strategies that
provide flexibility in the way that students demonstrate mastery of learning. A
competency-based approach involves personalized learning opportunities, that may
include strategies utilizing online and blended learning, dual enrollment and early
college high schools, project-based and community-based learning, and credit
recovery, among others.
Many states have created policies to support competency-based learning, and the
work to support such learning includes an increased emphasis on personalized,
competency-based learning environments.1
There is a significant trend of states creating policies to support competency-based
learning across the country. Most of the work to create personalized, competency-
based learning environments takes place within local school systems. However, when
there is synchronization between policy and practice and when there is collaboration
and partnership between policymakers and local school leaders, widespread
transformation can take place. Students can access educational opportunities that will
enable them to succeed in higher education, in the workplace and in life.
Consistent with this perspective, this report provides a review of the state-level work that
supports local efforts to implement competency-based learning. With state-level policies and
procedures that incentivize, support, and optimize competency-based learning, district-level
and school-level implementation will be more likely to be successful. Local decision makers
have a more complete understanding of their schools, strengthening the likelihood of long-
term success. The state-level policies and practices provide a scaffolding approach for the
implementation of competency-based teaching, supporting all districts and schools, regardless
of the extent their engagement in competency-based teaching.
To provide a foundation for this report, the first sections that follow address the state-adopted
content standards, as these standards are the beginning for all instructional decisions. The
subsequent sections provide information on current state practices in place that support
1
Frost, D. (2018). Competency works releases updated competency education state policy map. iNACOL.
Retrieved from https://www.inacol.org/news/competencyworks-releases-updated-competency-education-state-
policy-map-for-the-united-states/

3
competency-based teaching at the local level. The report concludes with considerations for
assessments aligned to competency-based teaching.
A. North Carolina Standard Course of Study
The North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NCSCOS) defines the appropriate content
standards for each grade level, or proficiency level, and for each high school course to provide
a uniform set of learning standards for every public school in North Carolina. These standards
define what students are expected to know and be able to do by the end of each school year or
course.
With these standards as the foundation, local school leaders make decisions about the
comprehensive curriculum that they choose to deliver to students so that they can reach the
content standards for every grade and subject. In addition, local schools and districts may
offer electives and coursework that is above and beyond the NCSCOS. Classroom instruction
is a partnership between the State, which implements the SBE-adopted NCSCOS, and local
educators who determine the curriculum materials used to deliver instruction to fulfill the
standards.
SBE Policy, SCOS-012, requires that each content area’s standards be reviewed every five-to-
seven years to ensure the NCSCOS consists of clear, relevant standards and objectives.
There are several content areas that have moved to a proficiency-based approach, including
Arts Education standards at the high school level; English Language Development standards
(K–12); World Language standards (K–12); and Guidance standards (K–12):
● In Arts Education, all high school standards are written as mastery-based standards.
Students progress through Beginning, Intermediate, Proficient, and Advanced levels of
standards once they have achieved mastery of the current level. None of these areas
are measured on state-wide assessments.
● The proficiency-based English Language Development (K–12), standards are
organized across four language domains (speaking, listening, reading, and writing).
These standards and the aligned WIDA ACCESS assessment support multilingual
learners with attaining English language proficiency according to state criteria.
● The proficiency-based North Carolina World Language Essential Standards (K–12)
have outcome expectations for each standard (language skill or communication mode)
that students must meet by the end of the course, grade span, or program. The
proficiency outcomes are based on research, student developmental levels, and the
type of language. The proficiency level descriptors come from the National American
Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency scale that
defines language acquisition. These outcomes in the standards are used for student
promotion or continuation to the next course, grade span, or program, as well as
placement in programs, so that students can continue to build proficiency in the
language of study.
● The K–12 Guidance Essential Standards are designed and intended to be utilized by
any educator to support the overall cognitive, career and personal/social development
of every student. School counselors collaborate with teachers and other school
personnel to help facilitate delivery and integration of these standards, not only
providing activities and services themselves, but also helping classroom teachers and

4
other educators to better understand how they can integrate Guidance Essential
Standards into the content they are already teaching. The appropriate developmental
order of the Guidance Essential Standards K–12 are: RED -
Readiness/Exploratory/Discovery; EEE - Early Emergent/Emergent; P – Progressing;
EI - Early Independent; I – Independent.
B. Career and Technical Education Courses and Modules
Career and Technical Education (CTE) has historically implemented a proficiency-based
approach to student mastery learning. This approach is similar to a competency-based
approach, and the terms have been used interchangeably to describe the content development
for CTE courses. Over the past ten years, the increase in credentials and certifications have
allowed CTE to more effectively align workforce needs, student skill development, and
competency-based assessments. This remains an ongoing process as the districts and schools
refine implementation.
When students complete modules, certifications, and credentials, they may progress to others
and ultimately advance to further coursework.
C. Personalized Learning Framework
With the approval of North Carolina’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2018, the
NCDPI committed to the continued transformation of schools and districts across the state
from industrial-age practices to digital-age practices.2
In the digital-age classrooms, all
students and educators may have access to unique learning experiences based upon individual
needs and aspirations. As such, the NCDPI has developed a framework for Personalized
Learning underpinned by four research-based and student-centered pillars: Learner Profiles,
Individualized Learning Paths, Competency-Based Progression and Flexible Learning
Environments (Figure 1).3
Figure 1. Personalized Learning in North Carolina: A Working Definition
2
NCDPI. (2018). Every Student Succeeds Act. Retrieved from http://www.ncpublicschools.org/succeeds/
3
Pane, J., Steiner, E., Baird, M., Hamilton, L., & Pane, J. (2017). Observations and guidance on implementing
personalized learning. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation. Retrieved from
https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9967.html

5
In 2017, RAND education experts on Personalized Learning reported that “early evidence
suggests that personalized learning can improve achievement for students, regardless of their
starting level of achievement.”
The learner profile helps the teacher and the student identify learning needs, monitor progress,
set goals, and build the learning path. This data from the learner profile helps the student find
greater successes as the teacher is more likely to anticipate challenges before the student
performs poorly or fails.
The individualized learning path allows all students to receive the appropriate level of
instruction and differentiated support. Students set learning targets based on their different
learning needs, while the teacher closely monitors each student and provides them with choice
based on their strengths, weaknesses, interests, and goals.
Within competency-based progression, the students can work at their own pace to reach
mastery of the standards, strengthening their self-confidence, resiliency, and self-advocacy.
Finally, flexible learning environments can help educators leverage the use of space, time,
access to supports and resources in the school setting and beyond to meet the needs of all
students, especially the needs of high-need students that may not be able to be adequately
addressed in a traditional, industrial-age classroom environment.4
D. Home Base Suite of Tools
Since its inception in 2013, Home Base has developed into a comprehensive suite of tools that
provides management of student data, educator evaluation, professional development for
educators, and access to learning resources aligned with the North Carolina Standard Course
of Study. This suite of digital tools and instructional resources is designed to empower
teachers, engage students, provide data, support administrators and connect parents to their
child’s personalized learning. Each of the student-centered applications within Home Base are
provided to all North Carolina districts for free or at a low-cost through state-level
convenience pricing.5
● PowerSchool is the official student information system for storing and managing
student data. It maintains over 1.4 million student records and provides robust
capabilities for educators and administrators to effectively manage school processes. It
reinforces personalized learning by offering the ability to tailor a student’s
instructional path with his or her interests, skills and goals, and utilize “PowerTeacher
Pro” for standards-based grading and quick access to student data.
● Schoolnet allows educators to build lesson plans, create instructional materials and
supplement their teaching with digital resources. This tool gives teachers the ability to
create and modify assessments as well as receive results in real-time with relevant data
for reporting purposes. Schoolnet supports personalized learning by utilizing its
resource bank to house materials that are appropriately aligned with individualization
and student career paths.
4
Braaten, E., (2019). Scaling Personalized Learning in North Carolina. Raleigh, NC: NCSU.
5
NCDPI. (2018). Home Base. Retrieved from https://homebase.ncpublicschools.gov/

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● Canvas is a learning management system (LMS) that provides a platform to connect
different digital tools and resources in one location for teacher, student, and parent
access at any time and any place. Canvas supports personalized learning by better
facilitating the use of learning paths, student assessment and teacher feedback, and
collaboration.
● #GoOpenNC provides North Carolina educators access to openly licensed
supplemental instructional resources aligned to the North Carolina Standard Course of
Study. Educators can collaborate to curate and create personalized resources to meet
the needs of their learners. #GoOpenNC supports the personalized learning of students
and educators with collaborative tools and resources to promote active feedback and
revision of instructional materials.
E. Digital Learning Competencies and Standards
In 2013, the North Carolina General Assembly passed House Bill 23, calling on the SBE to
develop digital teaching and learning competencies that would “provide a framework for
schools of education, school administrators, and classroom teachers on the needed skills to
provide high-quality, integrated digital teaching and learning.”6
These competencies demonstrate skills that teachers and leaders should integrate into their
practice in order to create digital learning environments. In 2016, the SBE approved the
Digital Learning Competencies (DLCs) for Teachers and for Administrators to improve their
practices and to drive student learning within classrooms. The DLCs are to be viewed within
the context of the current North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards and the North
Carolina Standards for School Executives and are extensions in relationship with the ways
that digital technologies impact and affect schools.
DLCs for Administrators DLCs for Teachers
Vision & Strategy Leadership in Digital Learning
Content & Instruction Digital Citizenship
Human Capacity & Culture Digital Content & Instruction
Personal Growth & Connectedness Data & Assessment
Community
In 2017, the SBE updated the licensure renewal requirement so all teachers and administrators
renewing their professional licenses, beginning in 2019, are required to earn two continuing
education credits (CEUs) aligned with Digital Learning Competencies. As administrators and
6
NCDPI (2016). NC Digital Learning Competencies. Retrieved from https://www.dpi.nc.gov/districts-
schools/districts-schools-support/digital-teaching-and-learning/digital-learning-nc

7
teachers work to implement these competencies in their practice, students are better enabled
to engage in digital-age learning environments for the application and creation of knowledge.
In 2019, the SBE approved the Digital Learning Standards for Students (DLS)7
designed to be
integrated by classroom teachers and other licensed staff within the NCSCOS. With the
adoption of the International Society for Technology in Education Standards for Students,
each North Carolina educator will incorporate the DLS in every subject and grade level to
support content learning.
Empowered
Learner
Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing,
achieving and demonstrating competency in their learning goals,
informed by the learning sciences.
Digital Citizen Students recognize the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of
living, learning and working in an interconnected digital world, and
they act and model in ways that are safe, legal and ethical.
Knowledge
Constructor
Students critically curate a variety of resources using digital tools
to construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make
meaningful learning experiences for themselves and others.
Innovative
Designer
Students use a variety of technologies within a design process to
identify and solve problems by creating new, useful or imaginative
solutions.
Computational
Thinker
Students develop and employ strategies for understanding and
solving problems in ways that leverage the power of technological
methods to develop and test solutions.
Creative
Communicator
Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively
for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats
and digital media appropriate to their goals.
Global
Collaborator
Students use digital tools to broaden their perspectives and enrich
their learning by collaborating with others and working effectively
in teams locally and globally.
F. Professional Development for Public School Units
REL Southeast CBE Alliance.
The NCDPI partnered specifically with the REL Southeast (Regional Educational Laboratory)
and RTI in 2018 to host an event focused on “Identifying and Eliminating Barriers to
Competency-Based Education and Personalized Learning State-wide in North Carolina.”
LEAs who were making progress locally on these efforts were invited to work with the
NCDPI, RTI, and the REL Southeast to learn about innovating competency-based education
7
NCDPI. (2019) NC Digital Learning Standards. Retrieved from https://www.dpi.nc.gov/districts-schools/districts-
schools-support/digital-teaching-and-learning/dtl-standards

8
practices around the state, identify challenges that slow innovation, and develop strategies for
ways to remove these challenges and barriers.
In 2019, the NCDPI collaborated with the REL Southeast to facilitate eight meetings held
regionally across North Carolina focused on “Measuring Success Through Competency Based
Learning.” In alignment with the NCDPI’s efforts, each workshop was intended to help
participants develop an awareness of the need for personalized learning, explore relevant and
usable information about personalized learning (connecting to the vision for North Carolina
and the four pillars), review and learn from examples of personalized learning, and identify
next steps related to planning and implementing personalized learning at the school or district
levels.
Additionally, the NCDPI conference Connecting Communities of Education Stakeholders
(CCES) provided professional development and resources in 2019 for educators through a
three-day, statewide event focused on “Innovative Pathways to Personalized Learning.”
G. Funding and Resources for Public School Units
Digital Learning Initiative Grants
Intended to spread effective digital teaching and learning practices across North Carolina,
competitive grants support districts as they address challenges, harness opportunities, and
leverage resources. From 2017 to 2019, the SBE awarded 64 grants to a diversity of school
districts and schools: the grant recipients represented each of the eight SBE Districts, urban
and rural districts, and low-performing or Tier 1 school districts. Three grant types provided
opportunities for districts (1) to plan for digital-age initiatives (Planning Grants), (2) to
implement digital-age initiatives (Implementation Grants), and (3) to serve as model
demonstration sites (Innovation Academy Grants).
Among the awardees for 2018–19, 11 of the 32 districts identified Personalized Learning for
students as a priority. These awardees serve as incubators of effective Personalized Learning
practices and as leaders for other districts engaging in this work. By creating these hubs of
innovation that support North Carolina educators in their professional growth, a ground-swell
effort for personalized learning is growing, and students’ access to highly qualified digital-age
teaching and learning opportunities continues to increase.
Supports and Guidance.
The NCDPI has developed supports for public school units implementing personalized
learning. Each of the items identified below are aligned with the NCDPI’s Theory of Action
and the 4 Pillars for Personalized Learning:
● Landscape of Personalized Learning Survey - Developed by the NCDPI’s Digital
Teaching & Learning and NCSU’s Friday Institute, this survey is intended to provide
better understanding of the current status of school-level implementation of
personalized learning. The data may be used to better understand how and where
student-centered learning is occurring, to develop strategic supports for this work, and
to build networks of practitioners across the state.
● Planning for Personalized Learning Matrix – The NCDPI has developed a matrix
around each of the four pillars. Using this matrix, a school district or school can better

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understand implementation of each pillar from the learner’s perspective, the teacher’s
perspective, and the capacity of the district or school.
● Explore Guides for Personalized Learning - To help with the operationalizing of
personalized learning, the NCDPI has developed guides for educators to better
understand and apply each of the four pillars. Through various media and resources,
these materials help the educator to better understand each pillar, why it is important,
how it is created, and how it is used.
H. Professional Development for the NCDPI Staff
Beginning in December 2017, and continuing through 2019, the Center on Innovations in
Learning (CIL) and the South East Comprehensive Center (SECC) provided supports to the
NCDPI through a two-day Personalized Learning Institute delivered to more than 150 of the
NCDPI staff. An objective of the Institute was to familiarize the NCDPI staff with the ideas
and tools that guide and propel Personalized Learning and thus establish a common language
to further design and successfully implement a statewide system of Personalized Learning.
Further work towards informing and engaging the SBE and other state-level leaders in
Personalized Learning has been facilitated by site visits within districts, hosting showcase
events at the NCDPI building, and presenting at SBE meetings (with national leaders in
personalized learning research and North Carolina districts at varying stages of
implementation).
I. Credit by Demonstrated Mastery
The State Board of Education (SBE) adopted Credit by Demonstrated Mastery (CDM) as an
option for students to earn credit for a course (State Board Policy CCRE-001). In this process,
based upon a body-of-evidence, a district or school may award credit in a course without
requiring the student to complete classroom instruction for a specified seat time (typically
hours).
The SBE defines mastery as a student’s command of course material at a level that
demonstrates a deep understanding of the content standards and the ability to apply
knowledge of the material.
Students demonstrate mastery through a multi-phase assessment, consisting of (1) a standard
examination, the end-of-course test or the NC Final Exam where applicable, or a final exam
developed locally, and (2) an artifact which requires the student to apply knowledge and skills
relevant to the content standards. The district or school may require additional requirements,
such as performance tasks.
This multi-phase assessment process builds a body-of-evidence that allows a committee to
determine if the student has a deep understanding of the standards for the course or subject
area as defined by the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. This process allows students
to earn credit for a course without being constrained by the requirement to meet participation
in a class, as stated in the definition of competency-based education: “progression is based on
mastery of explicit learning objectives, or competencies, as demonstrated through evidence of
student learning, rather than the time spent in a course/topic.”

10
The NCDPI provides a resource with guidance and tools to support districts’ and schools’
implementation of CDM.
J. Differentiated Education Plans and Advanced Learning Opportunities
Differentiated Education Plans are for those students identified as Academically and/or
Intellectually Gifted students. These plans are developed locally and outline services provided
to enrich, extend and accelerate the Standard Course of Study to address the students’
advanced learning needs. These plans are aligned to N.C.G.S. § 115C-150.5-.8.
North Carolina students have access to an array of differentiated advanced learning
opportunities based on their academic needs and interests. In the 2018–19 graduating class,
55,739 graduates, representing 51% of all graduates, earned high school credit for college-
level courses during their high school careers. College-level courses are those defined as
Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge, community college
or university courses.
K. Assessment Implications for Competency-Based Teaching
To meet federal law, the assessed content standards must be adopted by the SBE and the
associated assessments must assess the breadth and depth of those content standards. All
students must be assessed on all content standards. The only exception is a content standard
that is not accessible in the standardized test format, such as listening or speaking.
As instruction is competency-based and targeted to the needs of the learners, it is anticipated
that student achievement would increase. However, this is dependent on strong alignment of
the instruction to the content standards. Currently, the Innovative Assessment Demonstration
Authority, approved by the U.S. Department of Education, is being developed to provide an
assessment system that utilizes interim assessments and a summative assessment that is more
appropriate for students’ needs. The data from the interim assessments will be timelier,
providing through-grade data that will inform teachers on how instruction should be adjusted
to increase student achievement. These assessments will support local efforts to engage in
competency-based teaching.
Conclusion
This report is an overview of competency-based teaching with the focus on state policies and
practices that provide support for local implementation. To provide a comprehensive view of
competency-based learning throughout North Carolina, an in-depth analysis of district- and
school- level implementation is appropriate. Likewise, consideration of the State’s role in
building capacity for schools to transition to competency-based teaching would be valuable.
For such an analysis to occur, funding and human capacity would need to be addressed.

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